Category Archives: Broadband

Perhaps the title should say “Just one of the many problems with TalkTalk”.

I have been with TalkTalk for my broadband since 01.March.2011, when I moved to them from Orange.

At first the speed was quite good. I was getting between 1.6 and 2.0 Mbps.

But in February 2012 the speed dropped right down to 0.1 to 0.2, a drop of more than 90%.

When at last they replied, on 18.Mar.2012, their response was “I have checked into your account and found out that you live approximately 5432 meters from the local exchange. That was the big factor of your slow speed connection.”

What??? So are they suggesting that my house uprooted itself in February 2012 and moved so much further from the exchange that the speed dropped by over 90% ? I think I might have noticed that!

At the end of their email, they added “I appreciate your patience and I trust that this response is of assistance.”

Well frankly, no, the response was not of any assistance.

I contacted them again.

On 30.Mar.2012 they sent me a text saying “Your fault has been passed to our network service desk. We are performing tests against your line.”

OK, fine.

Then on 02.Apr.2012 they sent another text “An engineer has been dispatched to complete checks on your line”.

OK.

Then they sent the same message again. Hmm.

Then on 03.Apr their text said “We have completed investigations on your line and will provide an update shortly.”

Ooooh, I’m waiting with bated breath…

That evening I got another text: “Our engineer reports your fault is now resolved.”

I tested the broadband on 06.Apr and, indeed, it was now back to 1.9 Mbps.

But that is not the end of the story…

On 12.Jun I received my TalkTalk bill.

On it was an item:

“Engineer Charge

25 May 12

to

25 May 12

£

129.99″

So I sent TalkTalk an email on 12.Jun asking why that charge was there.

No reply.

10 days later I emailed them again.

No reply.

So I phoned them. They said “Oh you have to write to us at…..”

This is getting tedious. A telecoms company, but the only way to get an answer is to have to write to them?

So I wrote to them.

I got their reply today. In it Trivina Manikum (TalkTalk Customer Relations) says “…an engineer visited your premises and found there to be no fault on the line… Therefore you are liable for the engineer charge of £129.99”

1. If there was “no fault on the line”, why did the TalkTalk engineer say “your fault is now resolved” ?

2. If there was no fault, why did the speed drop by 90% and then miraculously come back up to speed after the engineer’s visit?

3. At no point did they say there would be a charge for their engineer to fix their fault.